


You’re Never Too Late

by 90sgillovny



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-09 00:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14705274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/90sgillovny/pseuds/90sgillovny
Summary: Set immediately after s7 finale.“It was always Emma comes to town as saviour and meets Mayor Regina”





	You’re Never Too Late

It’s 3:25am and the last of the guests finished up their drinks and left almost 2 hours ago. Regina had been relying on Emma the whole night to get her out of social unpleasantries, such as, 3 dwarves asking if they could kiss her ‘as a token of congratulation’ or Snow breaking down in tears twice and telling her how proud she is. Emma whisked her away every time, on the premise that baby Hope needed her Auntie Gina. It’s not until they’re finally alone that they could have an actual conversation.

“Last ones standing again, huh?” Emma puffed out her cheeks and pulled on the cork of a fresh champagne bottle. Regina, still in her sparkling coronation gown is sat at the desk in her study (which alone was bigger than any house Emma had ever lived in), feet up and laughing at Emma’s drunken attempts to open the bottle. She swung her legs down and moved across the room to where Emma was still failing to get them another drink. With one swift move of her thumb the cork pops off and foam begins spilling from the bottle.

“Don’t waste it!” Emma exclaimed, grabbing the bottle back and taking a swig. She could feel Regina’s disapproving stare from where she was standing at the drink tray behind her.

“Oh, Emma, you never change.” Regina rolled her eyes but kept a soft smile on her face and took a sip of her own glass.

“Just because we’re living in an ‘enchanted realm’ now or whatever, doesn’t mean I’m gonna start wearing ballgowns every day and eating caviar. I only did this for you, ‘Gina.” She gestured to the baby pink ballgown she still had on and flopped herself down on the couch.

“But why?” Regina asked, sitting utterly too close to the blonde on the sofa. Emma shot her a look of confusion.

“Uh, do I look like the type who’d enjoy living out their life not being able to pee without getting naked every time?” Regina laughed, like, really laughed, something Emma hadn’t heard in a long time and it made her heart skip a beat or five.

“I meant why did you do it for me?” She looked up at Emma, her glazed brown eyes met green and she just shook her head. How is it that after all this time, the smartest woman she knows, could still be this oblivious. Emma had tried to move on, she tries to forget about apple ciders in the dark and the fact that there’s real magic between them and that Regina never showed the slightest hint of reciprocation - but the soft hand slipping into hers tells her that maybe Regina was better at lying to her than she thought.

“I don’t think that you have to ask me why anymore.” She squeezes Regina’s hand and pressed a kiss on top of her head.

“I left it too late. I was too scared, I was scared to admit that I was scared. I knew you felt the same, but I didn’t want to ruin what we had of our little family - you, Henry and I. I was a hurricane back then, I didn’t even know what I was going to do next. I was tired of hurting the people that I loved. But you got me through it, you stuck by me even when I had given up on myself. And now, here? In this room with you, in any room with you, I know I’m safe.” The Good Queen was mumbling and leaving tears into the crook of Emma’s neck, leaving damp blonde hair as she pulled away to wipe her tears, but Emma got there first, gently cupping Regina’s cheek and wiping a tear with her thumb.

“No.” Emma pursed her lips and shook her head. “You’re never too late. I’d wait lifetimes for you, Regina Mills. I love the family I’ve made here, I really do. But at the end of the day, it was always Emma comes to town as saviour and meets Mayor Regina.”

One last stray tear fell from Regina’s eye and stopped at the bow of her lip. Emma leaned in and kissed it away, vowing that it’d be the last tear she ever shed.


End file.
